Isaac t



(No Model.)

I. T. RUE.

Tea. Put.

Patented Nov. 9, I880.

INVENTOR Jima @7. @A/ %5 WITNESSES 7% W fl y ATTORNEY N-FETERS. FHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC T. RUE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TEA-POT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,148, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed September 13, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC 'I. RUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tea-Pots and similar articles; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates, primarily, to an improvement in the lids of tea-pots, but it is also applicable to other vessels or articles which have lids that are frequently opened and closed; and the object of my invention is to provide an improved metallic lid for a tea-pot having an earthenware body, the said lid being constructed in such a manner that it can be very readily applied, and will not fall off or become displaced after being placed in po sition.

It is well known that earthenware vessels are preferable to those of metal for making decoctions of tea, and earthenware tea-pots have been extensively used for that purpose; but these have ordinarily been provided with earthenware lids, which it is difficult, if not impossible, to fit securely to the body, and, consequently, the lids are liable to fall off and break the cup or saucer while the tea is being poured out. Hinged metallic lids have also been used -on earthenware tea-pots to some extent, but the difficulty of properly securing the hinge to the earthenware has rendered them both expensive and unserviceable. By my improvement these difficulties are obviated, as the lid fits tightly to the body and does not require any special adaptation of the body to receive it, and at the same time I thereby provide a neat, cheap, and ornamental article of household use.

The invention consists, first, in the improved construction of a metallic lid for an earthenware tea-pot or other vessel, as hereinafter particularly described; and, secondly, in an earthenware tea-pot or vessel provided with a metallic lid fitted in position by means of springs, as hereinafter set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Eigure 1 represents a side elevation of a tea-pot with my improvement; Fig. 2, a vertical section, on the line at w, of the body and lid; and Fig. 3, a view of the under side of the lid detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A represents the body of a tea-pot, but, as before mentioned, my improvement may be applied to various kinds of vessels; and although my invention is more especially intended to be applied to vessels made of earthenware, it may also be applied to metallic vessels. The body may be of any convenient and desirable shape, and no ledge or flange is needed to support the lid.

a represents the ordinary spout, and b the ordinary handle of a tea-pot.

B represents my improved lid, which is made of sheet metal stamped or pressed into the desired form, and provided with a knob, c, of some material which is a non-conductor of heat, for lifting it on and off. On the under side of the lid are secured springs d d d, by which the lid is held to the body A when placed in position. Any desired number of these springs may be employed, and their shape or form may be varied; but I prefer to use three upon each lid, and to make them of spring-wire, in the form shown in the drawings, with a ring or loop, d, to impart additional elasticity. The free ends of the springs fit under the upper edge of body A when the lid is placed thereon, and thereby keep the lid firmly in position so that it cannot fall of, and for that purpose the wire is bent so as to form an angle or catch, f, that projects inside of the edge of the opening in the body.

It will be seen that no projections or ledges are necessary either to keep the lid in position or to adapt the body to receive the lid, and hence the construction is extremely simple and inexpensive, as well as durable and not liable to breakage; and, also, that the opening in the body, being left plain, admits of the hand being introduced to wash it out when necessary.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A lid, B, for a tea-pot or similar vessel, A, made of sheet metal, and provided with spring-catches d d f, for holding it in position, and thereby dispensing with hinges and ing in the body to keep the lid in position, projections, substantially as shown and desnbstantially as shown and described. scribed.

2. A tea-pot or similar vessel having a body, 5 A, made of earthenware, and provided with Witnesses:

a sheet-metal lid, B, having spring-catches JOHN S. THORNTON, d d f, which fit under the edge of the open- M. H. TOPPING.

ISAAC T. RUE. 

